Holiday Gift Idea #3

Funky ear buds for the funky music lover. From Patina.




Weiner dogs, rose buds and bees.

Favorite Holiday CDs

It feels like the holidays are really here in full force. With the Grey's Thanks-Christma-New Years episode and the completed decking of the halls of downtown Des Moines and the malls, listening to holiday music in November doesn't seem quite so intrusive this year.

Every year I look for a new compilation or few songs to add to our collection. My favorite song has always Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I LOVE that version.

My second favorite, Barenaked Ladies and Sarah MacLachlan's version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, is what lead me to my trio of favorite holiday CDs.

The song came out in 1998, but it took me a few years to track down a CD with it for my mom.
Christmas Songs, from Nettwerk Records.

A few years later, Nettwerk Records followed up with these three compilations. Maybe This Christmas is my favorite (and the first one I bought).

But I also like these two: Maybe This Christmas Too and Maybe The Christmas Tree.


Last but not least, I came to A Very Special Christmas 3, by marriage.


I have a lot of other different versions of songs I like too, but I can listen to all of these CDs in entirety over and over. What are you favorites? I've heard good things about Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah from the OC. I know last year everyone was gaga for The Hotel Cafe Presents...Winter Songs, but it was a little too winsome and angsty for me.

Old Crow Medicine Show Tonight

Yip, yip, yip! I'm happy our friend Eric is coming to town tonight--it means we're headed to the Old Crow Medicine Show at Hoyt Sherman. Man I love me some good fiddle playing.




I hear them all, I hear them all, I hear them all.

Iowa Marching Band Thriller Dance

Skip to 4:54 for the best part of the halftime show. The quality isn't great, but you can see how much the crowd got into it.

My Weekend

Oh snap. No computer connection yet. Still a great weekend was had.

Friday night we went to see Zombieland. It was just what the doctor ordered: funny, silly, heartfelt and blood an guts ala the Simon Pegg variety (Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz). The line into the actual movie was almost to the door of the theater, something I’ve never seen, but it was actually the line for Paranormal Activity. Serious buzz on the flick.

Saturday we went to Hairball with McDonoughs. I think my brother-in-law Bill died and went to 80s hairband heaven. My favorite was their killer Prince impression and Guns N Roses stole the show. Didn’t realize I still know all the words to Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City.

Yesterday I got an awesome massage at the East Village Spa. Seriously, I’m walking on sunshine.

Got new distance glasses (wanted to use up my flex spending before everyone and their dog scrambles in December). I’m usually really cheap when it comes to glasses, which in turn saddled me with a pair I really haven’t liked for the last five years. I love my new ones (in brown).

Last but not least I picked up a sweater and some thermal shirts for my beloved. For several years we’ve been getting these great Merona wool sweaters from Target. Lightweight but stylish, they are really versatile and look great on Anthony.

Hello Fall, Watcha Doin?

Though I realize the first official day of fall was last week, I just started feeling it for real when I woke up to cold temps this morning. Perfect for snuggling under the covers until you really have to get up.

We had a perfectly delicious fall weekend. Friday night's concert was fantastic, though my dogs were barking by the end of the night.

This was the creepiest part for me. A mid 30s-ish guy and a middle school age kid wearing the EXACT same outfit from head to toe. Same boots, same pants, same hoodie tied around their waist, same Joker t-shirt (sorry, didn't get a shot from the front).

Trying to get your picture taken by comprised individuals, priceless.

We were pretty close, but there were still enough tall dudes I had to bob and weave at certain points. We stood next to three old hippie peeps who were total nazis about people going to the bathroom etc. Maybe if you can't handle the flow of traffic at an outdoor concert where there are bathrooms and beer tents on the field, you should get a seat. I'm just sayin.


Other than that we enjoyed a crazy stressful win over Penn State on Saturday night and hung around the house catching up on shows and reading. A perfect fall weekend.

The only thing that would have made it better is if I'd gotten around to cooking with the MacIntosh apples I found last week. Hands down, they are the best apple around, but since they don't grow in the Midwest, they are usually pretty mealy by the time they make to these parts. Oh well, if I can't eat them, I'll bake with them. This apple cake is the bomb and it actually calls for MacIntosh. Yum! Picture from here.

Why I Am and Other DMB songs

Too excited to type a real post.

Tonight we have a date with the best band you will ever see in concert. Its an experience, not a concert. It is going to be soooooo good. Even if it rains. I'm ready to dance like crazy girl. A little something like this?

DMB, tonight! Pictures of the setup at Principal Park here. Hippie dancing photo from Life.com

Bruce!

I was way too busy dancing and singing to take pictures at the concert, plus they don't mess around with pyrotechnics or floating butterflies. No, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band plays music. It was an awesome show. Even the songs I didn't know as well, I danced and hummed to because the feeling was infectious.

Two of the shots I did get were at the end of the night. My favorite moment, besides when the band played The Wanderer as part of the stump the band portion of the evening, was when Bruce pulled this woman up from the front row and danced with her. It was great.

This Week in Yays and Boos

Yay!

• Fall TV coverage from Entertainment Weekly
• I don’t care what anyone says, this song makes me SO happy. If I was in college, this is the song I would get ready to before going out
• Shepherd’s Pie the best thing is that this recipe makes two pies. One for now, one for later
• This sweater, in deep rose. Delicious
• Iowa vs. Arizona with some of our bestest buds

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters review
• This whole business from the VMAs + this

Is This Heaven? No Its Des Moines

As I flipped my calendar over to survey September and what it holds, I got really excited. This year has been a banner year for music in Des Moines. Plus, Wicked is coming in October. We already saw Coldplay, next up and within five days of each other, we have:

And then:

Oh my, oh my. I am so excited. Coldplay was so unexpected, but Bruce (+the E Street Band!) really blew me away. Dave comes around Iowa every so often, so that was just the icing on the cake.

Photos from here and here.

Debbie Gibson "Out of the Blue"

Most days I go home for lunch to let Micky out. Most days I listen to a CD on the drive. Most days I do not hear Debbie Gibson. Not today. Today I heard Out of the Blue on the radio during a totally 80s lunch. Yowza!

Good good, but I'd really rather hear this one.

My Night at the Iowa State Fair

Got my fried pickles at Veggie-table.

Saw the Nadas, twice. Saw the Templeton Rye bus, once.


Oohed and aahed over the Discovery Garden, just outside the Ag building.



Admired the Midway while waiting to get out of the North lot for 30 minutes.

Shorty Fire Burnin' on the Dancefloor

I literally just got this song out of my head sometime yesterday afternoon and then saw this last night on America's Got Talent.

I am such a sucker for acts like this. And now this song is stuck in my head, again.

Strawberry Swing Video

I'm sure people more savvy than I will be able to figure out how to post this, but here is the most amazing video. Stop motion animation. Hand drawn chalk background.

Walking On The Sunny Side Street

Most days the streetlights outside of my building conspire to have me walking on the sunny(ier) side of the street.

The times I find myself on the other side of the street, I always admire this detail in the building kitty corner from mine.

Great When You Play the Hawkeye State

Coldplay in a Word: Awesome

I had high expectations and they were delivered upon and then some. The only problem is that it could have gone on for another 3 or 4 hours for my liking. Coldplay was great, but even more, it was great to see Des Moines folks step up and be great fans.
Its hard to tell, but thousands of colored paper butterflies came down from the ceiling. Then it went to black and it was a storm of fluorescent butterflies swirling around.

DMB: The Road to Big Whiskey

I will not spend time waxing prophetically about the Dave Matthews Band, but I will say watching the four part series The Road to Big Whiskey certainly brought me back to when I fell in love with their music.

It was just easier to be 15 and under the table and dreaming about what life would be. Not better, just easier

Los Colarados Hot N' Cold

So if you like Hot N' Cold by Katy Perry, you are sure to love this gem. I love how serious they are. Just goes to show how catchy songs can transcend genres!



Reminds me of Travis' version Baby One More Time.

Genius!

I know the Genius feature on iTunes has been around for awhile, but being a slow(er) adapter to stuff like that it blew my mind when I finally used it. Its exactly what I have always wanted iTunes to do!

I'm loving (LOVING) this one based on Grey in LA by Loudon Wainwright III.